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Lt. Governor Scott Tours Vermont

posted Oct 11, 2012, 10:08 AM by Staff News & Citizen

by Andrew Martin

Lieutenant Governor Phil Scott is nearing the end of his tour of Vermont. Like other politicians in a statewide race, Scott has been making the rounds of all 14 Vermont counties. However, he has chosen to do so in a different manner. While many politicians drive from one appointment to another Scott instead chose to make his tour of Vermont on a bicycle.

"From a campaign perspective, I hope this bike tour will allow me to see and speak with more Vermonters 'off the beaten path.' I've been to parades and fairs at the state's larger venues, but I also want to visit with people from all walks of life and in Vermont's smaller towns,” explained Scott via press release.

Scott set out on his “Cycling Vermont’s 14” tour on Monday, October 1, from St. Johnsbury and he will be finishing it up on Tuesday, October 9, in Barre. Along the way he had stops in dozens of towns, including Island Pond, Newport, Cambridge, St. Albans, South Hero, Colchester, Burlington, Middlebury, Rutland, Bennington, Brattleboro and Randolph before finishing up in Barre. While traveling between 43 and 82 miles each day Scott also held several campaign events and ‘meet and greets’ at local restaurants and public buildings. Some individuals, including outgoing Cambridge, Waterville, and Belvidere representative Adam Howard, joined Scott for portions of his ride.

“The bike tour is allowing me to see things people don’t normally notice from a car,” stated Scott, “It gives you a broader awareness of Vermont’s infrastructure and what makes the state tick. You get to hear about the local issues more as well.”

Along with jumpstarting the final month of his campaign for Lt. Governor, Scott also hopes the tour will promote several of the initiatives he has been working on since assuming office two years ago, including self-reliance, tourism, and the importance of buying local. He also hopes the tour will promote healthy living.

"Whenever I'm asked how I would lower the cost of health care in Vermont, I talk about promoting healthy lifestyles and personal responsibility. I think it's important that we lead by example,” explained Scott in a press release, "Bicycle and motorcycle tourism is starting to take off, both for out-of-state visitors as well as Vermonters looking for a 'staycation.' Seeing the state on two wheels calls for a slower pace and increases your awareness and perspective from a number of different standpoints.”

Scott donated his official salary for the week of his tour to the Vermont Long Term Recovery Fund.